Northamptonshire suffers biggest rise in cost of rural crime in the UK in year or machinery thefts and sheep slaughters

Rural crime in Northamptonshire rose by 134 per cent in 2018 to 2019, the highest rise for a county in the UK.

The cost of organised crime gangs targeting rural Northamptonshire more than double last year in one of the biggest spikes in rural crime in the country.

New data shows the cost of rural crime in the county leapt from £510k to £1.1m between 2018 and 2019, marking the greatest rise for a county in the UK at 134 per cent.

It marked the year when Northamptonshire was plagued by a string of illegal sheep killings, where nearly 120 sheep were slaughtered across a four month period.

Northamptonshire was plagued with sheep killings in 2018 - but the rise in costs is more likely because of theft of expensive machinery.

But insurance firm NFU Mutual, who has released the data, says the spike in costs in Northamptonshire cannot be solely blamed on the sheep rustlers and in fact marks a rise across the country of organised gangs stealing expensive machinery like from farmers.

Rebecca Davidson, Rural Affairs Specialist at NFU Mutual, said: “In Northamptonshire last year we had those terrible cases of sheep slaughtering. But while that would have been a contributing factor, the biggest drivers have been organised crime gangs targeting tractors and machinery.

"Recently, NFU Mutual was able to recover a tractor that was found in Poland back to its owner in Northamptonshire.

"As for why the sudden rise in Northamptonshire, it is possible that gangs target new areas in different years."

Three men in Birmingham were jailed in March 2020 for the spate of Northamptonshire sheep killings.

In 2019, rural crime rose in every region within the UK and is currently at its highest level in eight years, totalling £54.3m

The sharp rises are being driven by organised criminal gangs targeting high-value tractors, quad bikes and other farm vehicles – accounting for an increase of nearly 25% to £9.3m on agricultural vehicles in the UK.

Livestock theft also increased in 2019 with the UK cost going up 9% to £3m. Well-organised gangs taking large numbers of sheep, which are thought to enter the food chain illegally, are driving the increase.

Rebecca Davidson said: "Rural crime is like a wave as organised criminality spreads through our villages, farms and rural towns, affecting everyone in the countryside. We continue to work hard to stem the tide and are warning rural communities and helping with prevention advice, as there are concerns for the months ahead as the economic impact of Coronavirus bites.

"As well as the financial cost, there’s a serious effect on the mental well-being of people living in rural and often isolated areas. There are fears that the impact will be felt harder this year as farmers have been working flat-out to feed the nation and many rural communities have been put under additional pressure by the challenges brought by COVID-19."

In March 2020, three Birmingham men were jailed for the plague of sheep killings in Northamptonshire after they were caught fleeing the scene of their latest attack in October 2019.

NFU Mutual invested £430,000 in 2020 to tackle rural crime, including a police UK-wide agricultural vehicle crime tracking and recovery unit.